Bumps and Bruises

This past weekend we took another important step towards the London Olympic Games that are just around the corner: we qualified for the World League Super Finals next month that will be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Brazil and Canada were in town for a double round-robin tournament to determine the 2 teams that will represent the Americas in the upcoming 8-team finals. We had some convincing wins against these relatively weaker teams and ended up winning all 4 of our games. Brazil defeated Canada to join us next month overseas.

The rest of this month holds further competition opportunities: we will host teams from Croatia and Hungary in Southern California for training and official matches toward the end of the month. Please check out www.usawaterpolo.org for schedules and ticket information.

Coming off an intense period of training and ramping into a schedule heavy with competition, we collectively have been experiencing several nagging injuries. Last weekend we had a few players forced to watch from the sidelines as they gained some needed recovery time. Minor injuries (especially shoulders!) are all too common in our sport, and unless properly addressed they can develop into more serious ones. Getting the necessary rest, medical attention, and physical therapy are all extremely important.

However, diet also plays a large part in both injury prevention and recovery. Protein is an especially crucial part of athlete health as it aids in muscle growth, repair, and recovery, and pistachios provide an easy and convenient way to get the necessary amounts. With 6 grams of protein per serving, they are a great way to top off your supplies! Even better: having protein right before a workout has been shown to reduce the muscle soreness we often feel after a grueling session. So injuries aside, you can bounce back even faster with a serving of pistachios before you start your workout.

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